System and method for visual voice mail in a multi-screen environment

ABSTRACT

A method of managing visual voice mail in a multi-screen environment. The method includes receiving voice mail messages in a server, creating a state machine for each message, pushing a visual voice mail notification to at least three devices, receiving an action command from one of the three devices and updating the state machine responsive to the receiving step.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The instant application is a continuation of, and claims priority to,U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/277,589, filed Oct. 20, 2011. Theinstant application is related by subject matter to co-pending U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/277,744, filed Oct. 20, 2011, U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/297,731, filed Oct. 16, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No.8,489,075, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/274,944, filed Oct. 17,2011, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/287,324, filed Nov. 2,2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,515,029. U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/277,589 is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/277,744 is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety herein. U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/297,731 is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/274,944 is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety herein. U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/287,324 is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.U.S. Pat. No. 8,489,075 is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety herein. U.S. Pat. No. 8,515,029 is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application is directed to the delivery of visual voice mail to amulti-screen environment with particular examples relating to themulti-screen environment comprising a mobile device, a personalcomputer, and a third device such as a television set.

BACKGROUND

Visual voice mail permits subscribers to view voice mail messages inconfigurations that enable more efficient processing of such voice mailmessages. For example, by obtaining a list of voice mails and presentinga summary list of such voice mails on a visual display, a subscriber maypick the order that such messages are accessed and reviewed. Thesubscriber may also choose to ignore and delete voice mail messageswithout accessing or reviewing them.

Some visual voice mail systems also include the transcription of voicemessages into text messages, thereby enabling the subscriber the optionof listening to a message or reading a text transcription of themessage.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure includes a method of managing visual voice mailin a multi-screen environment including receiving voice mail messages ina server, creating a state machine for each message, pushing a visualvoice mail notification to at least three devices, receiving an actioncommand from one of the three devices, and updating the state machineresponsive to the receiving step. The method may further include pushinga revised visual voice mail notification to the at least three devicesindicating the updated state machine status. The state machine mayinclude states for unread, read, reply and delete. The at least threedevices may include a personal computer, a smart phone and a television.The voice mail may be translated to text for delivery to one of the atleast three devices. The server may provide a classification of thevoice mail messages in accordance with a set of criteria and pushes thenotification responsive to the classification. The criteria may be acalled party designation, a calling party designation, a private orpublic designation, or an authorized user designation. The pushing stepmay be modified based on the criteria.

The disclosure is also directed to a multi-user device for receivingvisual voice mail messages, including a server interface, a userinterface comprising a display and an user input device, a processor incommunication with the server interface and the user interface, whereinthe processor is configured for receiving one of a plurality ofauthentication codes from a user input device, requesting visual voicemail messages from the server based on the authentication code whereinthe visual voice mail messages are filtered based on the authenticationcode, displaying the voice mail notifications based on theauthentication code, determining a desired action based on inputs fromthe user input device, sending a request to the server based on thedetermining step, and delivering to the user interface the results ofthe desired action. The processor may be further configured to displayprivate or public messages based on the authentication code and todisplay all messages when the authentication code is that of a parentand to display only a subset of messages when the authentication code isthat of a child.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following description is better understood when read in conjunctionwith the appended drawings.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary illustration of a three screen environment inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is an exemplary illustration of a screen display that may be usedon one or more screens in a multi-screen environment;

FIG. 3 is an exemplary illustration of a state machine relating to anembodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of the method;

FIG. 5 is an example of a multi-user, multi-screen visual voice mailsystem;

FIG. 6 is an example of a variation of the multi-user, multi-screenvisual voice mail system in which privacy features are illustrated;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an example device that is configurable tobe compatible with visual voice mail systems;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an example network entity configurable tobe compatible with visual voice mail systems;

FIG. 9 depicts an overall block diagram of an exemplary packet-basedmobile cellular network environment, such as a GPRS network, in whichvisual voice mail systems can be implemented.

FIG. 10 illustrates an architecture of a typical GPRS network in whichvisual voice mail systems can be implemented.

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary block diagram view of a GSM/GPRS/IPmultimedia network architecture within which visual voice mail systemscan be implemented.

FIG. 12 illustrates a PLMN block diagram view of an exemplaryarchitecture in which visual voice mail systems may be incorporated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The present disclosure will now be described with respect to theappended drawings. In accordance with FIG. 1, there is shown a an system10 in which the disclosure may be implemented in a first embodiment. Thesystem 10 includes a network 12, which could be any type ofcommunications network, including but not limited to a 3G or 4G wirelessnetwork, WiFi or WiMax, CDMA or TDMA, the internet or any othertelephony or data network. The network may have fixed interfaces tolandline telephones 16, or interfaces to wireless devices 18 or 20through base stations 19 and 21, respectively in accordance withwell-known protocols.

The wireless device is representative of any appropriate type of devicethat can communicate on a wireless network. Example mobile devicesinclude any type of wireless receiver or transceiver device (e.g., cellphone, pager, PDA, PC, specialized broadcast receiving device, satelliteradio receiver, satellite phone, and television). Example devices cancomprise any appropriate mobile device, such as, for example, a portabledevice, a variety of computing devices including (a) a portable mediaplayer, e.g., a portable music player, such as an MP3 player, a Walkman,etc., (b) a portable computing device, such as a laptop, a personaldigital assistant (“PDA”), a portable phone, such as a cell phone or thelike, a smart phone, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phone, a videophone, a portable email device, a thin client, a portable gaming device,etc., (c) consumer electronic devices, such as TVs, DVD players, set topboxes, monitors, displays, etc., (d) a public computing device, such asa kiosk, an in-store music sampling device, an automated teller machine(ATM), a cash register, etc., (e) a navigation device whether portableor installed in-vehicle and/or (f) a non-conventional computing device,such as a kitchen appliance, a motor vehicle control (e.g., steeringwheel), etc., or a combination thereof. For exemplary purposes only, themobile device 20 will be referred to as smart phone 20, though clearlynot limited to such.

Continuing with reference to FIG. 1, the network 12 also includes avisual voice mail server 14 in communication therewith. Internetprotocol interface 22 may also be connected to the network 12 and may,for example, be a Wi-Fi hot spot or other connection point to theinternet. A personal computer 24 is shown in communication with theinterface 22. A set top box 26, for example, a uVerse set top boxoffered by AT&T, may also be in communication with the network 12 and atelevision display 28 as shown. It is understood that the personalcomputer may be any type of internet device connected to the network,including but not limited to a desktop computer, a laptop computer, anetbook computer, a tablet, a gaming system or any other type ofcomputing device. The television display 28 may be any type of displaywhich gets its information feed from a set top box 26.

In accordance with an embodiment, a multi-screen environment may containthree screens such as smartphone 20, personal computer 24 and television28. Each of these screens may be capable of receiving, displaying, andacting upon data associated with visual voice mail.

An example of a visual voice mail screen display 30 is illustrated inFIG. 2. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that such adisplay is an example only and different smartphone manufacturers mayhave different screen layouts and that different carriers may also havedifferent screen layouts. Screen 30 may have listings for a plurality ofvoice messages, in this example, five messages are displayed. Caller 1message 32 is highlighted which may indicate that caller 1 message 32has been selected, while caller 2 message 34, caller 3 message 36,caller 4 message 38, and caller 5 message 40 are not highlighted andtherefore not selected by the user. It will be understood that envelopeinformation may be included in the listing of each voice mail such astime of message, the length of message, the location from which themessage originated, or any other such information. Action button 33provides the option for the subscriber to listen to the voice mail fromcaller 1, while action button 31 provides the option for the subscriberto see a text transcription of the voice mail message from caller 1.Once caller 1 message 32 has been selected, in addition to the actionbuttons 31 and 33, the subscriber is also provided other options oncontrol bar 42, which may, for example, include the options to place acall to caller 1, to reply via text message to caller 1, or to deletethe message from caller 1. In accordance with an embodiment, the examplescreen display 30 in FIG. 2 or variations thereof may be replicated onthe smartphone 20, personal computer 24 and the television 28.

In accordance with an embodiment and with reference to FIG. 3, thevisual voice mail server 14 may include a state machine 50, wherein eachvoice mail message is assigned a status. The state machine 50 may, forexample, include four possible states 52, designated as 1, 2, 3, or 4with each possible state 52 associated with a particular status 54. Forexample, state 1 may be “unread”, state 2 may be “read”, state 3 may be“save”, and state 4 may be “delete.”

In operation and in accordance with FIG. 4, the visual voice mail server14 may push a screen display 30 to the smartphone 20, personal computer24 and the television 28 at 60. The screen display may include allstored voice mail messages or a subset of messages which may, forexample, be selected based on filtering criteria of the subscriber. At62, the subscriber selects a voice mail and performs an action at 64.When that action is performed, a message is sent back at 66 to thevisual voice mail server 14 indicating what type of action wasperformed. The visual voice mail server then updates the state machine50 for that message at 68. At 70, the synchronization function isperformed which results in the visual voice mail server pushing anupdated screen display 30 to the smartphone 20, personal computer 24 andthe television 28 after which the process may repeat.

In accordance with another embodiment, the multi-screen environment mayalso include a multi-user environment. In addition to each voice mailbeing associated with a specific state, the voice mail may be associatedwith a particular subscriber, such as a family member. In such a case,an indication of the particular subscriber may also sent to thesmartphone 20, personal computer 24 and the television 28 along with theindex of the stored visual voice mail messages. The screen displays 30may be identical, but the screen displays may also differ for eachdevice. For example, FIG. 5 shows two smartphone screens 72 and 74 and atelevision screen 76. In this example, smartphone 72 belongs to “Dad”and smartphone 74 belongs to “Mom”, while the television 76 is shared byboth “Dad” and “Mom.” For example, the voice mail messages displayed onthe smartphone 72 may be addressed to the particular subscriber (i.e.,“Dad”) associated with that smartphone, while the voice messagesdisplayed on smartphone 74 may be addressed to a different subscriber inthe same household or office (i.e., “Mom”). All voice mail messages maydisplayed on the on the television 76 and also may include messages forother members of the family or office.

In accordance with another embodiment, classification data may beincluded in the envelope information of a voice mail message which wouldaffect the presentation on one or more of the screen displays. Forexample, the visual voice mail server 14 may classify each visual voicemail as “public” or “private”, with one being selected as a default. Thepublic/private designation may be based upon subject matter, callingparty ID, time of day, or any other criteria as selected by thesubscriber. For example, “private” messages may include work-relatedvoice mails, attorney-client communications, or the like, while “public”messages may include social or community-related voice mails. Withreference to FIG. 6, there is shown one example of the effects of theprivate/public designation. In that example, Caller B is designated asprivate by being displayed in italics on smartphone 78. That same CallerB does not appear on the television screen 80, but rather shows up asbeing designated “Private” in italics. The italics designation is usedfor illustrative purposes only, but can be any designation, oralternatively, no designation at all. For example, the smartphone screenmay not highlight Caller B in any manner whatsoever and the televisionscreen may not even display any indication of Caller B. In accordancewith another embodiment, the television screen may also show callsmarked private under the control of the subscriber or based on othercriteria, such as time of day. If for example, only one subscriber isavailable and has access to the television during a particular time ofday, then all calls, including private calls, may be displayed duringthat time period. Also, under the control of a subscriber in a similarsituation, only calls designated for that subscriber with televisionaccess would be displayed on the television screen during that timeperiod. Additionally, the option for the calling party to designate theprivate/public nature of the voice mail being sent to the subscriber maybe provided through a DTMF prompt or other type of prompt from the voicemail server 14 to the calling party.

In order to implement the controls of the three screens, a navigationsystem may be provided for each screen, indicating the filtering to takeplace for any screen. The filtering may be the same for all threescreens, or customized for each screen. In accordance with anembodiment, a subscriber may select a previously stored profile for ascreen by navigating to and selecting the profile for that subscriber.The navigation screen may be hierarchal in nature and may include theability for a subscriber, with or without password protection, to alterthe profile at any time.

Parental controls may also be implemented in an embodiment. Parent mayhave the ability to review all voice mail messages, regardless of theprivate/public designation, while at the same time blocking access toall of the parent's voice mail messages by the children. In this manner,children's private messages may be kept private from other children, butnot from the parents.

According to another embodiment, the voice mail message may be deliveredas a text transcription during the use of the screen by anotherapplication. For example, in the context of a television screen, thetext transcription of the voice mail message may appear as scrollingtext along the bottom or other designated area of the screen while theprogramming is continually displayed otherwise. According to anotherembodiment, the text transcription may be displayed on a designated areaof the screen as a dialog box-type of display.

The management of visual voice mail may be from the server or from oneof the subscriber devices. Filtering and control functions may beprovided to permit the subscriber to program the delivery options andreview options for each of the multiple screen displays. Priority may beset for each device of for each type of message. Delivery times may beset up such that delivery to one or more of the multiple screens may bebased on time of day considerations.

Additionally, the visual voice mail server 14 may be programmed to sendreply messages, either automatically or upon command from thesubscriber, to the calling party. For example, an acknowledgement ofreceipt and delivery may be sent automatically by the visual voice mailserver 12 to the calling party, or such an acknowledgement may beinitiated after prompting the subscriber to authorize the sending ofsuch an acknowledgement. Moreover, the voice mail server 14 may permitthe calling party to access the status of previously sent voice mailmessages and may, for example, provide the ability for the calling partyto recall a message if the message had not yet been accessed or read.

While the embodiments have been described with respect to smartphones 20and televisions 28, the same concepts may also be applied to personalcomputers such that the personal computer may also have personalized orcommunity visual voice mail displays. In accordance with anotherembodiment, multiple personal computer screens may be used. For example,the visual voice mail may have dual personal computer interfaces, onefor a parent and one for a child. The parent computer display mayinclude all of the voice mail messages for both the parent and thechild, while the child personal computer display may include only voicemail messages for the child.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an example device 436 that may, for examplebe a smartphone or other mobile device and which is configurable toreceive visual voice mail displays. The device 436 can include anyappropriate device, mechanism, software, and/or hardware fordistributing connectivity and/or transmission time as described herein.As described herein, the device 436 comprises hardware, or a combinationof hardware and software. And, each portion of the device 436 compriseshardware, or a combination of hardware and software. In an exampleconfiguration, the device 436 can comprise a processing portion 438, amemory portion 440, an input/output portion 442, a user interface (UI)portion 444, and a sensor portion 446 comprising at least one of a videocamera portion 448, a force/wave sensor 450, a microphone 452, amoisture sensor 454, or a combination thereof. The force/wave sensorcomprises at least one of a motion detector, an accelerometer, anacoustic sensor, a tilt sensor, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor,or the like. The motion detector is configured to detect motionoccurring outside of the communications device, for example viadisturbance of a standing wave, via electromagnetic and/or acousticenergy, or the like. The accelerator is capable of sensing acceleration,motion, and/or movement of the communications device. The acousticsensor is capable of sensing acoustic energy, such as a noise, voice,etc., for example. The tilt sensor is capable of detecting a tilt of thecommunications device. The pressure sensor is capable of sensingpressure against the communications device, such as from a shock wavecaused by broken glass or the like. The temperature sensor is capable ofsensing a measuring temperature, such as inside of the vehicle, room,building, or the like. The moisture sensor 54 is capable of detectingmoisture, such as detecting if the device 436 is submerged in a liquid.The processing portion 438, memory portion 440, input/output portion442, user interface (UI) portion 444, video camera portion 448,force/wave sensor 450, and microphone 452 are coupled together to allowcommunications therebetween (coupling not shown in FIG. 7).

In various embodiments, the input/output portion 442 comprises areceiver of the device 36, a transmitter of the device 436, or acombination thereof. The input/output portion 442 is capable ofreceiving and/or providing information pertaining to visual voice mailmessages as described herein or other communications with other devicesand device types. For example, the input/output portion 442 can includea wireless communications (e.g., 2.5G/3G/4G) SIM card. The input/outputportion 442 is capable of receiving and/or sending text information,video information, audio information, control information, imageinformation, data, an indication to initiate a connection, an indicationto initiate a transmission, start time information, end timeinformation, interval time information, interval length information,random number value information, connect time information, transmit timeinformation, parsing information, authentication information, or anycombination thereof. In an example configuration, the input\outputportion 442 comprises a GPS receiver. In an example configuration, thedevice 36 can determine its own geographical location through any typeof location determination system including, for example, the GlobalPositioning System (GPS), assisted GPS (A-GPS), time difference ofarrival calculations, configured constant location (in the case ofnon-moving devices), any combination thereof, or any other appropriatemeans. In various configurations, the input/output portion 442 canreceive and/or provide information via any appropriate means, such as,for example, optical means (e.g., infrared), electromagnetic means(e.g., RF, WI-FI, BLUETOOTH, ZIGBEE, etc.), acoustic means (e.g.,speaker, microphone, ultrasonic receiver, ultrasonic transmitter), or acombination thereof. In an example configuration, the input/outputportion comprises a WIFI finder, a two way GPS chipset or equivalent, orthe like.

The processing portion 438 is capable of processing visual voice mail asdescribed herein. The processing portion 438, in conjunction with anyother portion of the device 436, enables the device 436 to covert speechto text or convert text to speech.

In a basic configuration, the device 436 can include at least one memoryportion 440. The memory portion 440 can store any information utilizedin conjunction with visual voice mail as described herein. Dependingupon the exact configuration and type of processor, the memory portion40 can be volatile (such as some types of RAM), non-volatile (such asROM, flash memory, etc.). The device 436 can include additional storage(e.g., removable storage and/or non-removable storage) including, tape,flash memory, smart cards, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) orother optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic diskstorage or other magnetic storage devices, universal serial bus (USB)compatible memory, or the like. In an example configuration, the memoryportion 440, or a portion of the memory portion 440 is hardened suchthat information stored therein can be recovered if the device 436 isexposed to extreme heat, extreme vibration, extreme moisture, corrosivechemicals or gas, or the like. In an example configuration, theinformation stored in the hardened portion of the memory portion 440 isencrypted, or otherwise rendered unintelligible without use of anappropriate cryptographic key, password, biometric (voiceprint,fingerprint, retinal image, facial image, or the like). Wherein, use ofthe appropriate cryptographic key, password, biometric will render theinformation stored in the hardened portion of the memory portion 440intelligible.

The device 436 also can contain a UI portion 444 allowing a user tocommunicate with the device 436. The UI portion 444 is capable ofrendering any information utilized in conjunction the visual voice mailas described herein. For example, the UI portion 444 can provide meansfor entering text (including numbers), entering a phone number,rendering text, rendering images, rendering multimedia, rendering sound,rendering video, receiving sound, or the like, as described herein. TheUI portion 444 can provide the ability to control the device 436, via,for example, buttons, soft keys, voice actuated controls, a touchscreen, movement of the device 436, visual cues (e.g., moving a hand infront of a camera on the mobile device 436), or the like. The UI portion444 can provide visual information (e.g., via a display), audioinformation (e.g., via speaker), mechanically (e.g., via a vibratingmechanism), or a combination thereof. In various configurations, the UIportion 444 can comprise a display, a touch screen, a keyboard, aspeaker, or any combination thereof. The UI portion 444 can comprisemeans for inputting biometric information, such as, for example,fingerprint information, retinal information, voice information, and/orfacial characteristic information. The UI portion 444 can be utilized toenter an indication of the designated destination (e.g., the phonenumber, IP address, or the like).

In an example embodiment, the sensor portion 446 of the device 436comprises the video camera portion 448, the force/wave sensor 450, andthe microphone 452. The video camera portion 448 comprises a camera (orcameras) and associated equipment capable of capturing still imagesand/or video and to provide the captured still images and/or video toother portions of the device 436. In an example embodiment, theforce/wave sensor 450 comprises an accelerometer, a tilt sensor, anacoustic sensor capable of sensing acoustic energy, an optical sensor(e.g., infrared), or any combination thereof.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an example network entity 456 such as apersonal computer or a television configurable to facilitate themulti-screen environment of a visual voice mail system as describedherein. In an example embodiment, the network entity 456 comprises anetwork entity comprising hardware, or a combination of hardware andsoftware. And, each portion of the network entity 456 compriseshardware, or a combination of hardware and software. When used inconjunction with a network, the functionality needed to facilitatevisual voice mail processing may reside in any one or combination ofnetwork entities. The network entity 456 depicted in FIG. 8 representsany appropriate network entity, apparatus, or combination of networkentities or apparatuses, such as a processor, a server, a gateway, etc.,or any combination thereof. It is emphasized that the block diagramdepicted in FIG. 8 is exemplary and not intended to imply a specificimplementation or configuration. Thus, the network entity 456 can beimplemented in a single processor or multiple processors (e.g., singleserver or multiple servers, single gateway or multiple gateways, etc.).Multiple network entities can be distributed or centrally located.Multiple network entities can communicate wirelessly, via hard wire, ora combination thereof.

In an example configuration, the network entity 456 comprises aprocessing portion 458, a memory portion 460, and an input/outputportion 462. The processing portion 458, memory portion 460, andinput/output portion 462 are coupled together (coupling not shown inFIG. 8) to allow communications therebetween. The input/output portion462 is capable of receiving and/or providing information from/to adevice (e.g. device 436) and/or other network entity configured to beutilized in conjunction with visual voice mail services. For example,the input/output portion 462 is capable of, in conjunction with anyother portion of the network entity 456 as needed, receiving and/orsending text information, video information, audio information, controlinformation, image information, data, or any information relating tovisual voice mail, or any combination thereof.

The processing portion 458 is capable of performing functions associatedwith distributing connectivity and/or transmission time, as describedherein. For example, the processing portion 458 is capable of, inconjunction with any other portion of the network entity 456 as needed,executing an application for processing visual voice mail via the userinterface portion 444, processing text messages received via theinput/output portion 442, processing voice messages received via theinput/output portion 442, or the like, or any combination thereof.

The memory portion 460 can store any information utilized in conjunctionwith distributing connectivity and/or transmission time, as describedherein. For example, the memory portion 460 is capable of storinginformation pertaining to a start time, an end time, an interval time, arandom number value, a connect time, a transmission time, parsinginformation, authenticating information, hashing information, encryptinginformation, a location of a device, a predetermined text/voice message,a text/voice message, a predetermined audio/text message, an audio/textmessage, subscriber profile information, subscriber identificationinformation, phone numbers, an identification code of the communicationsdevice, video information, audio information, control information,information indicative sensor data (e.g., raw individual sensorinformation, combination of sensor information, processed sensorinformation, etc.), or a combination thereof. Depending upon the exactconfiguration and type of network entity 456, the memory portion 460 caninclude a computer storage medium, or media, that is volatile 464 (suchas dynamic RAM), non-volatile 466 (such as ROM), or a combinationthereof. The network entity 456 can include additional storage, in theform of computer storage media (e.g., removable storage 468 and/ornon-removable storage 470) including, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, tape, flashmemory, smart cards, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or otheroptical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic diskstorage or other magnetic storage devices, universal serial bus (USB)compatible memory. As described herein, a computer storage medium is anarticle of manufacture.

The network entity 456 also can contain communications connection(s) 476that allow the network entity 456 to communicate with other devices,network entities, or the like. A communications connection(s) cancomprise communication media. Communication media can be used tocommunicate computer readable instructions, data structures, programmodules, or other data. Communication media can include an appropriatetransport mechanism or information delivery media that can be used totransport a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave.

The network entity 456 also can include input device(s) 472 such askeyboard, mouse, pen, voice input device, touch input device, an opticalinput device, etc. Output device(s) 474 such as a display, speakers,printer, mechanical vibrators, etc. also can be included.

The communications device (e.g., device 436) and the network entity(network entity 456) can be part of and/or in communication with variouswireless communications networks. Some of which are described below.

FIG. 9 depicts an overall block diagram of an exemplary packet-basedmobile cellular network environment, such as a GPRS network, in whichvisual voice mail may be implemented. In the exemplary packet-basedmobile cellular network environment shown in FIG. 9, there are aplurality of Base Station Subsystems (“BSS”) 500 (only one is shown),each of which comprises a Base Station Controller (“BSC”) 502 serving aplurality of Base Transceiver Stations (“BTS”) such as BTSs 504, 506,and 508. BTSs 504, 506, 508, etc. are the access points where users ofpacket-based mobile devices become connected to the wireless network. Inexemplary fashion, the packet traffic originating from user devices istransported via an over-the-air interface to a BTS 508, and from the BTS508 to the BSC 502. Base station subsystems, such as BSS 500, are a partof internal frame relay network 510 that can include Service GPRSSupport Nodes (“SGSN”) such as SGSN 512 and 514. Each SGSN is connectedto an internal packet network 520 through which a SGSN 512, 514, etc.can route data packets to and from a plurality of gateway GPRS supportnodes (GGSN) 522, 524, 526, etc. As illustrated, SGSN 514 and GGSNs 522,524, and 526 are part of internal packet network 520. Gateway GPRSserving nodes 522, 524 and 526 mainly provide an interface to externalInternet Protocol (“IP”) networks such as Public Land Mobile Network(“PLMN”) 550, corporate intranets 540, or Fixed-End System (“FES”) orthe public Internet 530. As illustrated, subscriber corporate network540 may be connected to GGSN 524 via firewall 532; and PLMN 550 isconnected to GGSN 524 via boarder gateway router 534. The RemoteAuthentication Dial-In User Service (“RADIUS”) server 542 may be usedfor caller authentication when a user of a mobile cellular device callscorporate network 540.

Generally, there can be a several cell sizes in a GSM network, referredto as macro, micro, pico, femto and umbrella cells. The coverage area ofeach cell is different in different environments. Macro cells can beregarded as cells in which the base station antenna is installed in amast or a building above average roof top level. Micro cells are cellswhose antenna height is under average roof top level. Micro-cells aretypically used in urban areas. Pico cells are small cells having adiameter of a few dozen meters. Pico cells are used mainly indoors.Femto cells have the same size as pico cells, but a smaller transportcapacity. Femto cells are used indoors, in residential, or smallbusiness environments. On the other hand, umbrella cells are used tocover shadowed regions of smaller cells and fill in gaps in coveragebetween those cells.

FIG. 10 illustrates an architecture of a typical GPRS network in whichdistribution of connectivity and/or transmission time can beimplemented. The architecture depicted in FIG. 10 is segmented into fourgroups: users 650, radio access network 660, core network 670, andinterconnect network 680. Users 650 comprise a plurality of end users.Note, device 612 is referred to as a mobile subscriber in thedescription of network shown in FIG. 10. In an example embodiment, thedevice depicted as mobile subscriber 612 comprises a communicationsdevice (e.g., wireless anti-theft security M2M type device 36). Radioaccess network 660 comprises a plurality of base station subsystems suchas BSSs 662, which include BTSs 664 and BSCs 666. Core network 670comprises a host of various network elements. As illustrated in FIG. 10,core network 670 may comprise Mobile Switching Center (“MSC”) 671,Service Control Point (“SCP”) 672, gateway MSC 673, SGSN 676, HomeLocation Register (“HLR”) 674, Authentication Center (“AuC”) 675, DomainName Server (“DNS”) 677, and GGSN 678. Interconnect network 680 alsocomprises a host of various networks and other network elements. Asillustrated in FIG. 10, interconnect network 680 comprises PublicSwitched Telephone Network (“PSTN”) 682, Fixed-End System (“FES”) orInternet 684, firewall 688, and Corporate Network 689.

A mobile switching center can be connected to a large number of basestation controllers. At MSC 671, for instance, depending on the type oftraffic, the traffic may be separated in that voice may be sent toPublic Switched Telephone Network (“PSTN”) 682 through Gateway MSC(“GMSC”) 673, and/or data may be sent to SGSN 676, which then sends thedata traffic to GGSN 678 for further forwarding.

When MSC 671 receives call traffic, for example, from BSC 666, it sendsa query to a database hosted by SCP 672. The SCP 672 processes therequest and issues a response to MSC 671 so that it may continue callprocessing as appropriate.

The HLR 674 is a centralized database for users to register to the GPRSnetwork. HLR 674 stores static information about the subscribers such asthe International Mobile Subscriber Identity (“IMSI”), subscribedservices, and a key for authenticating the subscriber. HLR 674 alsostores dynamic subscriber information such as the current location ofthe mobile subscriber. Associated with HLR 674 is AuC 675. AuC 675 is adatabase that contains the algorithms for authenticating subscribers andincludes the associated keys for encryption to safeguard the user inputfor authentication.

In the following, depending on context, the term “mobile subscriber”sometimes refers to the end user and sometimes to the actual portabledevice, such as a mobile device, used by an end user of the mobilecellular service. When a mobile subscriber turns on his or her mobiledevice, the mobile device goes through an attach process by which themobile device attaches to an SGSN of the GPRS network. In FIG. 10, whenmobile subscriber 612 initiates the attach process by turning on thenetwork capabilities of the mobile device, an attach request is sent bymobile subscriber 612 to SGSN 676. The SGSN 676 queries another SGSN, towhich mobile subscriber 612 was attached before, for the identity ofmobile subscriber 612. Upon receiving the identity of mobile subscriber612 from the other SGSN, SGSN 676 requests more information from mobilesubscriber 612. This information is used to authenticate mobilesubscriber 612 to SGSN 676 by HLR 674. Once verified, SGSN 676 sends alocation update to HLR 674 indicating the change of location to a newSGSN, in this case SGSN 676. HLR 674 notifies the old SGSN, to whichmobile subscriber 612 was attached before, to cancel the locationprocess for mobile subscriber 612. HLR 674 then notifies SGSN 676 thatthe location update has been performed. At this time, SGSN 676 sends anAttach Accept message to mobile subscriber 612, which in turn sends anAttach Complete message to SGSN 676.

After attaching itself with the network, mobile subscriber 612 then goesthrough the authentication process. In the authentication process, SGSN676 sends the authentication information to HLR 674, which sendsinformation back to SGSN 676 based on the user profile that was part ofthe user's initial setup. The SGSN 676 then sends a request forauthentication and ciphering to mobile subscriber 612. The mobilesubscriber 612 uses an algorithm to send the user identification (ID)and password to SGSN 676. The SGSN 676 uses the same algorithm andcompares the result. If a match occurs, SGSN 676 authenticates mobilesubscriber 612.

Next, the mobile subscriber 612 establishes a user session with thedestination network, corporate network 689, by going through a PacketData Protocol (“PDP”) activation process. Briefly, in the process,mobile subscriber 612 requests access to the Access Point Name (“APN”),for example, UPS.com, and SGSN 676 receives the activation request frommobile subscriber 612. SGSN 676 then initiates a Domain Name Service(“DNS”) query to learn which GGSN node has access to the UPS.com APN.The DNS query is sent to the DNS server within the core network 670,such as DNS 677, which is provisioned to map to one or more GGSN nodesin the core network 670. Based on the APN, the mapped GGSN 678 canaccess the requested corporate network 689. The SGSN 676 then sends toGGSN 678 a Create Packet Data Protocol (“PDP”) Context Request messagethat contains necessary information. The GGSN 678 sends a Create PDPContext Response message to SGSN 676, which then sends an Activate PDPContext Accept message to mobile subscriber 612.

Once activated, data packets of the call made by mobile subscriber 612can then go through radio access network 660, core network 670, andinterconnect network 680, in a particular fixed-end system or Internet684 and firewall 688, to reach corporate network 689.

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary block diagram view of a GSM/GPRS/IPmultimedia network architecture within which visual voice mail systemscan be implemented. As illustrated, the architecture of FIG. 11 includesa GSM core network 701, a GPRS network 730 and an IP multimedia network738. The GSM core network 701 includes a Mobile Station (MS) 702, atleast one Base Transceiver Station (BTS) 704 and a Base StationController (BSC) 706. The MS 702 is physical equipment or MobileEquipment (ME), such as a mobile phone or a laptop computer that is usedby mobile subscribers, with a Subscriber identity Module (SIM) or aUniversal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC). The SIM or UICC includes anInternational Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), which is a uniqueidentifier of a subscriber. The BTS 704 is physical equipment, such as aradio tower, that enables a radio interface to communicate with the MS.Each BTS may serve more than one MS. The BSC 706 manages radioresources, including the BTS. The BSC may be connected to several BTSs.The BSC and BTS components, in combination, are generally referred to asa base station (BSS) or radio access network (RAN) 703.

The GSM core network 701 also includes a Mobile Switching Center (MSC)708, a Gateway Mobile Switching Center (GMSC) 710, a Home LocationRegister (HLR) 712, Visitor Location Register (VLR) 714, anAuthentication Center (AuC) 718, and an Equipment Identity Register(EIR) 716. The MSC 708 performs a switching function for the network.The MSC also performs other functions, such as registration,authentication, location updating, handovers, and call routing. The GMSC710 provides a gateway between the GSM network and other networks, suchas an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) or Public SwitchedTelephone Networks (PSTNs) 720. Thus, the GMSC 710 provides interworkingfunctionality with external networks.

The HLR 712 is a database that contains administrative informationregarding each subscriber registered in a corresponding GSM network. TheHLR 712 also contains the current location of each MS. The VLR 714 is adatabase that contains selected administrative information from the HLR712. The VLR contains information necessary for call control andprovision of subscribed services for each MS currently located in ageographical area controlled by the VLR. The HLR 712 and the VLR 714,together with the MSC 708, provide the call routing and roamingcapabilities of GSM. The AuC 716 provides the parameters needed forauthentication and encryption functions. Such parameters allowverification of a subscriber's identity. The EIR 718 storessecurity-sensitive information about the mobile equipment.

A Short Message Service Center (SMSC) 709 allows one-to-one ShortMessage Service (SMS) messages to be sent to/from the MS 702. A PushProxy Gateway (PPG) 711 is used to “push” (i.e., send without asynchronous request) content to the MS 702. The PPG 711 acts as a proxybetween wired and wireless networks to facilitate pushing of data to theMS 702. A Short Message Peer to Peer (SMPP) protocol router 713 isprovided to convert SMS-based SMPP messages to cell broadcast messages.SMPP is a protocol for exchanging SMS messages between SMS peer entitiessuch as short message service centers. The SMPP protocol is often usedto allow third parties, e.g., content suppliers such as newsorganizations, to submit bulk messages.

To gain access to GSM services, such as speech, data, and short messageservice (SMS), the MS first registers with the network to indicate itscurrent location by performing a location update and IMSI attachprocedure. The MS 702 sends a location update including its currentlocation information to the MSC/VLR, via the BTS 704 and the BSC 706.The location information is then sent to the MS's HLR. The HLR isupdated with the location information received from the MSC/VLR. Thelocation update also is performed when the MS moves to a new locationarea. Typically, the location update is periodically performed to updatethe database as location updating events occur.

The GPRS network 730 is logically implemented on the GSM core networkarchitecture by introducing two packet-switching network nodes, aserving GPRS support node (SGSN) 732, a cell broadcast and a GatewayGPRS support node (GGSN) 734. The SGSN 732 is at the same hierarchicallevel as the MSC 708 in the GSM network. The SGSN controls theconnection between the GPRS network and the MS 702. The SGSN also keepstrack of individual MS's locations and security functions and accesscontrols.

A Cell Broadcast Center (CBC) 717 communicates cell broadcast messagesthat are typically delivered to multiple users in a specified area. CellBroadcast is one-to-many geographically focused service. It enablesmessages to be communicated to multiple mobile phone customers who arelocated within a given part of its network coverage area at the time themessage is broadcast.

The GGSN 734 provides a gateway between the GPRS network and a publicpacket network (PDN) or other IP networks 736. That is, the GGSNprovides interworking functionality with external networks, and sets upa logical link to the MS through the SGSN. When packet-switched dataleaves the GPRS network, it is transferred to an external TCP-IP network736, such as an X.25 network or the Internet. In order to access GPRSservices, the MS first attaches itself to the GPRS network by performingan attach procedure. The MS then activates a packet data protocol (PDP)context, thus activating a packet communication session between the MS,the SGSN, and the GGSN.

In a GSM/GPRS network, GPRS services and GSM services can be used inparallel. The MS can operate in one of three classes: class A, class B,and class C. A class A MS can attach to the network for both GPRSservices and GSM services simultaneously. A class A MS also supportssimultaneous operation of GPRS services and GSM services. For example,class A mobiles can receive GSM voice/data/SMS calls and GPRS data callsat the same time.

A class B MS can attach to the network for both GPRS services and GSMservices simultaneously. However, a class B MS does not supportsimultaneous operation of the GPRS services and GSM services. That is, aclass B MS can only use one of the two services at a given time.

A class C MS can attach for only one of the GPRS services and GSMservices at a time. Simultaneous attachment and operation of GPRSservices and GSM services is not possible with a class C MS.

A GPRS network 730 can be designed to operate in three network operationmodes (NOM1, NOM2 and NOM3). A network operation mode of a GPRS networkis indicated by a parameter in system information messages transmittedwithin a cell. The system information messages dictates a MS where tolisten for paging messages and how to signal towards the network. Thenetwork operation mode represents the capabilities of the GPRS network.In a NOM1 network, a MS can receive pages from a circuit switched domain(voice call) when engaged in a data call. The MS can suspend the datacall or take both simultaneously, depending on the ability of the MS. Ina NOM2 network, a MS may not receive pages from a circuit switcheddomain when engaged in a data call, since the MS is receiving data andis not listening to a paging channel. In a NOM3 network, a MS canmonitor pages for a circuit switched network while received data andvice versa.

The IP multimedia network 738 was introduced with 3GPP Release 7, andincludes an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) 740 to provide rich multimediaservices to end users. A representative set of the network entitieswithin the IMS 740 are a call/session control function (CSCF), a mediagateway control function (MGCF) 746, a media gateway (MGW) 748, and amaster subscriber database, called a home subscriber server (HSS) 750.The HSS 750 may be common to the GSM network 701, the GPRS network 730as well as the IP multimedia network 738.

The IP multimedia system 740 is built around the call/session controlfunction, of which there are three types: an interrogating CSCF (I-CSCF)743, a proxy CSCF (P-CSCF) 742, and a serving CSCF (S-CSCF) 744. TheP-CSCF 742 is the MS's first point of contact with the IMS 740. TheP-CSCF 742 forwards session initiation protocol (SIP) messages receivedfrom the MS to an SIP server in a home network (and vice versa) of theMS. The P-CSCF 742 may also modify an outgoing request according to aset of rules defined by the network operator (for example, addressanalysis and potential modification).

The I-CSCF 743, forms an entrance to a home network and hides the innertopology of the home network from other networks and providesflexibility for selecting an S-CSCF. The I-CSCF 743 may contact asubscriber location function (SLF) 745 to determine which HSS 750 to usefor the particular subscriber, if multiple HSS's 750 are present. TheS-CSCF 744 performs the session control services for the MS 702. Thisincludes routing originating sessions to external networks and routingterminating sessions to visited networks. The S-CSCF 744 also decideswhether an application server (AS) 752 is required to receiveinformation on an incoming SIP session request to ensure appropriateservice handling. This decision is based on information received fromthe HSS 750 (or other sources, such as an application server 752). TheAS 752 also communicates to a location server 756 (e.g., a GatewayMobile Location Center (GMLC)) that provides a position (e.g.,latitude/longitude coordinates) of the MS 702.

The HSS 750 contains a subscriber profile and keeps track of which corenetwork node is currently handling the subscriber. It also supportssubscriber authentication and authorization functions (AAA). In networkswith more than one HSS 750, a subscriber location function providesinformation on the HSS 750 that contains the profile of a givensubscriber.

The MGCF 746 provides interworking functionality between SIP sessioncontrol signaling from the IMS 740 and ISUP/BICC call control signalingfrom the external GSTN networks (not shown). It also controls the mediagateway (MGW) 748 that provides user-plane interworking functionality(e.g., converting between AMR- and PCM-coded voice). The MGW 748 alsocommunicates with other IP multimedia networks 754.

Push to Talk over Cellular (PoC) capable mobile phones register with thewireless network when the phones are in a predefined area (e.g., jobsite, etc.). When the mobile phones leave the area, they register withthe network in their new location as being outside the predefined area.This registration, however, does not indicate the actual physicallocation of the mobile phones outside the pre-defined area.

FIG. 12 illustrates a PLMN block diagram view of an exemplaryarchitecture in which visual voice mail systems may be incorporated.Mobile Station (MS) 801 is the physical equipment used by the PLMNsubscriber. In one illustrative embodiment, communications device 436may serve as Mobile Station 801. Mobile Station 801 may be one of, butnot limited to, a cellular telephone, a cellular telephone incombination with another electronic device or any other wireless mobilecommunication device.

Mobile Station 801 may communicate wirelessly with Base Station System(BSS) 810. BSS 810 contains a Base Station Controller (BSC) 811 and aBase Transceiver Station (BTS) 812. BSS 810 may include a single BSC811/BTS 812 pair (Base Station) or a system of BSC/BTS pairs which arepart of a larger network. BSS 810 is responsible for communicating withMobile Station 801 and may support one or more cells. BSS 810 isresponsible for handling cellular traffic and signaling between MobileStation 801 and Core Network 840. Typically, BSS 810 performs functionsthat include, but are not limited to, digital conversion of speechchannels, allocation of channels to mobile devices, paging, andtransmission/reception of cellular signals.

Additionally, Mobile Station 801 may communicate wirelessly with RadioNetwork System (RNS) 820. RNS 820 contains a Radio Network Controller(RNC) 821 and one or more Node(s) B 822. RNS 820 may support one or morecells. RNS 820 may also include one or more RNC 821/Node B 822 pairs oralternatively a single RNC 821 may manage multiple Nodes B 822. RNS 820is responsible for communicating with Mobile Station 801 in itsgeographically defined area. RNC 821 is responsible for controlling theNode(s) B 822 that are connected to it and is a control element in aUMTS radio access network. RNC 821 performs functions such as, but notlimited to, load control, packet scheduling, handover control, securityfunctions, as well as controlling Mobile Station 801's access to theCore Network (CN) 840.

The evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) 830 is aradio access network that provides wireless data communications forMobile Station 801 and User Equipment 802. E-UTRAN 830 provides higherdata rates than traditional UMTS. It is part of the Long Term Evolution(LTE) upgrade for mobile networks and later releases meet therequirements of the International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT)Advanced and are commonly known as a 4G networks. E-UTRAN 830 mayinclude of series of logical network components such as E-UTRAN Node B(eNB) 831 and E-UTRAN Node B (eNB) 832. E-UTRAN 830 may contain one ormore eNBs. User Equipment 802 may be any user device capable ofconnecting to E-UTRAN 830 including, but not limited to, a personalcomputer, laptop, mobile device, wireless router, or other devicecapable of wireless connectivity to E-UTRAN 830. The improvedperformance of the E-UTRAN 830 relative to a typical UMTS network allowsfor increased bandwidth, spectral efficiency, and functionalityincluding, but not limited to, voice, high-speed applications, largedata transfer and IPTV, while still allowing for full mobility.

An exemplary embodiment of a mobile data and communication service thatmay be implemented in the PLMN architecture described in FIG. 12 is theEnhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE). EDGE is an enhancement forGPRS networks that implements an improved signal modulation scheme knownas 8-PSK (Phase Shift Keying). By increasing network utilization, EDGEmay achieve up to three times faster data rates as compared to a typicalGPRS network. EDGE may be implemented on any GSM network capable ofhosting a GPRS network, making it an ideal upgrade over GPRS since itmay provide increased functionality of existing network resources.Evolved EDGE networks are becoming standardized in later releases of theradio telecommunication standards, which provide for even greaterefficiency and peak data rates of up to 1 Mbit/s, while still allowingimplementation on existing GPRS-capable network infrastructure.

Typically Mobile Station 801 may communicate with any or all of BSS 810,RNS 820, or E-UTRAN 830. In a illustrative system, each of BSS 810, RNS820, and E-UTRAN 830 may provide Mobile Station 801 with access to CoreNetwork 840. The Core Network 840 may include of a series of devicesthat route data and communications between end users. Core Network 840may provide network service functions to users in the Circuit Switched(CS) domain, the Packet Switched (PS) domain or both. The CS domainrefers to connections in which dedicated network resources are allocatedat the time of connection establishment and then released when theconnection is terminated. The PS domain refers to communications anddata transfers that make use of autonomous groupings of bits calledpackets. Each packet may be routed, manipulated, processed or handledindependently of all other packets in the PS domain and does not requirededicated network resources.

The Circuit Switched—Media Gateway Function (CS-MGW) 841 is part of CoreNetwork 840, and interacts with Visitor Location Register (VLR) andMobile-Services Switching Center (MSC) Server 860 and Gateway MSC Server861 in order to facilitate Core Network 840 resource control in the CSdomain. Functions of CS-MGW 841 include, but are not limited to, mediaconversion, bearer control, payload processing and other mobile networkprocessing such as handover or anchoring. CS-MGW 840 may receiveconnections to Mobile Station 801 through BSS 810, RNS 820 or both.

Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) 842 stores subscriber data regardingMobile Station 801 in order to facilitate network functionality. SGSN842 may store subscription information such as, but not limited to, theInternational Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), temporary identities,or Packet Data Protocol (PDP) addresses. SGSN 842 may also storelocation information such as, but not limited to, the Gateway GPRSSupport Node (GGSN) 844 address for each GGSN where an active PDPexists. GGSN 844 may implement a location register function to storesubscriber data it receives from SGSN 842 such as subscription orlocation information.

Serving Gateway (S-GW) 843 is an interface which provides connectivitybetween E-UTRAN 830 and Core Network 840. Functions of S-GW 843 include,but are not limited to, packet routing, packet forwarding, transportlevel packet processing, event reporting to Policy and Charging RulesFunction (PCRF) 850, and mobility anchoring for inter-network mobility.PCRF 850 uses information gathered from S-GW 843, as well as othersources, to make applicable policy and charging decisions related todata flows, network resources and other network administrationfunctions. Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN-GW) 845 may provideuser-to-services connectivity functionality including, but not limitedto, network-wide mobility anchoring, bearer session anchoring andcontrol, and IP address allocation for PS domain connections.

Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 863 is a database for user information, andstores subscription data regarding Mobile Station 801 or User Equipment802 for handling calls or data sessions. Networks may contain one HSS863 or more if additional resources are required. Exemplary data storedby HSS 863 include, but is not limited to, user identification,numbering and addressing information, security information, or locationinformation. HSS 863 may also provide call or session establishmentprocedures in both the PS and CS domains.

The VLR/MSC Server 860 provides user location functionality. When MobileStation 801 enters a new network location, it begins a registrationprocedure. A MSC Server for that location transfers the locationinformation to the VLR for the area. A VLR and MSC Server may be locatedin the same computing environment, as is shown by VLR/MSC Server 860, oralternatively may be located in separate computing environments. A VLRmay contain, but is not limited to, user information such as the IMSI,the Temporary Mobile Station Identity (TMSI), the Local Mobile StationIdentity (LMSI), the last known location of the mobile station, or theSGSN where the mobile station was previously registered. The MSC servermay contain information such as, but not limited to, procedures forMobile Station 801 registration or procedures for handover of MobileStation 801 to a different section of the Core Network 840. GMSC Server861 may serve as a connection to alternate GMSC Servers for other mobilestations in larger networks.

Equipment Identity Register (EIR) 862 is a logical element which maystore the International Mobile Equipment Identities (IMEI) for MobileStation 801. In a typical embodiment, user equipment may be classifiedas either “white listed” or “black listed” depending on its status inthe network. In one embodiment, if Mobile Station 801 is stolen and putto use by an unauthorized user, it may be registered as “black listed”in EIR 862, preventing its use on the network. Mobility ManagementEntity (MME) 864 is a control node which may track Mobile Station 801 orUser Equipment 802 if the devices are idle. Additional functionality mayinclude the ability of MME 864 to contact an idle Mobile Station 801 orUser Equipment 802 if retransmission of a previous session is required.

While example embodiments of visual voice mail systems in a multi-screenenvironment time have been described in connection with variouscomputing devices/processors, the underlying concepts can be applied toany computing device, processor, or system capable of receiving visualvoice mail notifications as described herein. The methods andapparatuses for multi-screen visual voice mail applications, or certainaspects or portions thereof, can take the form of program code (i.e.,instructions) embodied in tangible storage media having a physicalstructure, such as floppy diskettes, CD-ROMs, hard drives, or any othermachine-readable storage medium having a physical tangible structure(computer-readable storage medium), wherein, when the program code isloaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machinebecomes an apparatus for distributing connectivity and/or transmissiontime. A computer-readable storage medium, as described herein is anarticle of manufacture, and thus, not to be construed as a transitorysignal. In the case of program code execution on programmable computers,the computing device will generally include a processor, a storagemedium readable by the processor (including volatile and non-volatilememory and/or storage elements), at least one input device, and at leastone output device. The program(s) can be implemented in assembly ormachine language, if desired. The language can be a compiled orinterpreted language, and combined with hardware implementations.

The methods and apparatuses for multi-screen visual voice mail systemscan be practiced via communications embodied in the form of program codethat is transmitted over some transmission medium, such as overelectrical wiring or cabling, through fiber optics, wherein, when theprogram code is received and loaded into and executed by a machine, suchas an EPROM, a gate array, a programmable logic device (PLD), a clientcomputer, or the like, the machine becomes an apparatus for processingvisual voice mail messages in a multi-screen environment. Whenimplemented on a general-purpose processor, the program code combineswith the processor to provide a unique apparatus that operates to invokethe functionality of distributing connectivity and/or transmission time.

While multi-screen visual voice mail systems have been described inconnection with the various embodiments of the various figures, it is tobe understood that other similar embodiments can be used ormodifications and additions can be made to the described embodiments fordistributing connectivity and/or transmission time. For example, oneskilled in the art will recognize that multi-screen visual voice mailsystems as described in the present application may apply to anyenvironment, whether wired or wireless, and may be applied to any numberof devices connected via a communications network and interacting acrossthe network. Therefore, systems and methods for multi-screen visualvoice mail should not be limited to any single embodiment, but rathershould be construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appendedclaims.

What is claimed:
 1. A method comprising: generating, for each message ofa plurality of messages, a respective indication of a status of arespective voice mail message; providing, to each device of a pluralityof devices, a visual voice mail notification, the visual voice mailnotification comprising: an indication of the plurality of voice mailmessages; an indication of which voice mail message of the plurality ofvoice mail messages to be displayed on a device based on a subscriberprofile associated with a respective device; and an indication of astatus of each voice mail message of the plurality of voice mailmessages.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving anindication of an action command from a first device of the plurality ofdevices, the action command being associated with a first voice mailmessage of the plurality of voice mail messages; updating an indicationof status for the first voice mail message based on the receivedindication of the action command; generating a revised visual voice mailnotification based on the updated indication of status; and providing,to the plurality of devices, the revised visual voice mail notification,the revised visual voice mail notification comprising an indication ofhow to display the first voice mail message on a device based on asubscriber profile associated with the device and the updated indicationof status.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein each indication of statuscomprises states of unread, read, reply, and delete.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the plurality of devices comprises at least one of apersonal computer, a smart phone, or a television.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the voice mail is translated to text for delivery toone of the plurality of devices.
 6. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: providing a classification of each voice mail message of theplurality of voice mail messages in accordance with a criteria; andproviding the visual voice mail notification based on theclassification.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the criteria is bycalled party designation.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the criteriais by calling party designation.
 9. The method of claim 6, wherein thecriteria comprises one of a private designation or a public designation.10. The method of claim 6, wherein the criteria is the designation of anauthorized user.
 11. The method of claim 6, wherein the visual voicemail notification is provided based on the criteria.
 12. An apparatuscomprising: a processor; and memory coupled to the processor, the memorycomprising executable instructions that when executed by the processorcause the processor to effectuate operations comprising: generating, foreach message of a plurality of messages, a respective indication of astatus of a respective voice mail message; providing, to each device ofa plurality of devices, a visual voice mail notification, the visualvoice mail notification comprising: an indication of the plurality ofvoice mail messages; an indication of which voice mail message of theplurality of voice mail messages to be displayed on a device based on asubscriber profile associated with a respective device; and anindication of a status of each voice mail message of the plurality ofvoice mail messages.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12, the operationsfurther comprising: receiving an indication of an action command from afirst device of the plurality of devices, the action command beingassociated with a first voice mail message of the plurality of voicemail messages; updating an indication of status for the first voice mailmessage based on the received indication of the action command;generating a revised visual voice mail notification based on the updatedindication of status; and providing, to the plurality of devices, therevised visual voice mail notification, the revised visual voice mailnotification comprising an indication of how to display the first voicemail message on a device based on a subscriber profile associated withthe device and the updated indication of status.
 14. The apparatus ofclaim 12, wherein each indication of status comprises states of unread,read, reply, and delete.
 15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein theplurality of devices comprise at least one of a personal computer, asmart phone, or a television.
 16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein thevoice mail is translated to text for delivery to one of the plurality ofdevices.
 17. The apparatus of claim 12, the operations furthercomprising: providing a classification of each voice mail message of theplurality of voice mail messages in accordance with a criteria; andproviding the visual voice mail notification based on theclassification.
 18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the criteria isby called party designation.
 19. A computer storage medium comprisingexecutable instructions that when executed by a processor cause theprocessor to effectuate operations comprising: generating, for eachmessage of a plurality of messages, a respective indication of a statusof a respective voice mail message; providing, to each device of aplurality of devices, a visual voice mail notification, the visual voicemail notification comprising: an indication of the plurality of voicemail messages; an indication of which voice mail message of theplurality of voice mail messages to be displayed on a device based on asubscriber profile associated with a respective device; and anindication of a status of each voice mail message of the plurality ofvoice mail messages.
 20. The computer storage medium of claim 19, theoperations further comprising: receiving an indication of an actioncommand from a first device of the plurality of devices, the actioncommand being associated with a first voice mail message of theplurality of voice mail messages; updating an indication of status forthe first voice mail message based on the received indication of theaction command; generating a revised visual voice mail notificationbased on the updated indication of status; and providing, to theplurality of devices, the revised visual voice mail notification, therevised visual voice mail notification comprising an indication of howto display the first voice mail message on a device based on asubscriber profile associated with the device and the updated indicationof status.